Capital Equipment News December 2023

INDUSTRY NEWS

Project planning must involve complete life cycle costing Recognising the benefits of coordinated project management, implementation, monitoring, budgeting and planned maintenance, has led Citadel House of Technologies to develop its unique software program – ‘Fortress’ – that addresses and simplifies the often complex task of holistic lifecycle planning not only for today, but for future generations in the organisation. Citadel’s Nyiko Chabalala, Building Services and Research and Development Engineer, emphasises the imperative for projects to have a professional project management plan to ensure that future asset maintenance is properly catered for, long after contractors have left the site. Chabalala points out that having the ability to manage the project implementation, as well as the asset life cycle in a single application, provides the principal with a powerful tool, or a practitioner with a strategic advantage in that it enables them to offer a value-added service to their client. “Initiating a project within Fortress allows the collection of asset data from the outset, providing insightful reports that enable easily made maintenance-related decisions. For practitioners, it also makes it easy to transition the client into a continued maintenance contract within the Fortress system.” “A project is a multi-stage scenario from inception until close-out. But it doesn’t end there. Fortress easily enables the project owner to monitor all aspects of the project – typically plant usage and performance over its complete life cycle. This enables robust maintenance solutions to be planned and implemented to avoid costly ‘unexpected’ breakdowns while determining the life cycle of the assets. Accurate monitoring and plant data coupled with good maintenance procedures optimises plant operations allowing an accurate picture of the return on investment.” Numerous technical studies confirm that regular maintenance of assets results in a substantially longer lifespan. Furthermore, if the maintenance is carried out at optimal intervals, more cost-effective maintenance leads to substantial savings for the asset owner.

Hägglunds Drives provides drive solution for RBCT stacker reclaimer

Hägglunds Drives South Africa recently commenced a retrofit project on the bucket wheel of a stacker reclaimer at Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT). The project, acquired via a tender process, was realised late in 2022 which entailed replacing a gearbox drive solution with a direct drive solution from Hägglunds Drives SA. Installation of the drive unit commenced at the end of August with commissioning conducted in late September. In addition to supplying the equipment, Hägglunds Drives SA’s scope of work involved fitting the motor to the main shaft of the bucket wheel and positioning the drive unit on the slew with all relevant piping installed. RBCT was established in 1976 as a 12 million-ton export terminal and, over the years, expanded to its current 91 million ton capacity export terminal providing coal to the global market. “Hägglunds Drives’ systems are incorporated in our tipplers and stacker reclaimers due to their high availability and high reliability,” says Kubendren Naidoo, General Manager Asset Management, RBCT. “The terminal prides itself on being a world-class, efficient and technologically advanced terminal and Hägglunds Drives’

The platinum edition JCB 3CX model.

solutions offer efficient, high reliability and high availability that ensures fast turnaround times of trains and vessels.” The direct drive solution installed on the stacker reclaimer is accompanied by a 12-month warranty on parts and workmanship, and a service agreement has been tailored to meet the requirements of RBCT. “RBCT can be assured of our commitment and ongoing support”, says Greg Daniels, Service Engineer at Hägglunds Drives SA. b

A new identity for Atlas Copco Group

Atlas Copco Group launched a new identity, including a new Group logo, a new visual identity, and a new Group message: Technology that transforms the future. The current blue and white Atlas Copco brand and logo will continue to be used on products and services, in the same way as other brands in the Group use their respective logos. This includes around 50 brands such as Edwards, Isra, Leybold, LEWA and Chicago Pneumatic, which all have their distinct identity and unique value proposition. “We have many strong brands driving the success of our business, and decentralization remains an important part of our strategy,” said Mats Rahmström, President and CEO of the Atlas Copco Group. “Going forward, the new Atlas Copco Group brand becomes the umbrella for all brands in the Group, including Atlas Copco. This will enable our brands to maintain their individuality, while we at the same time can increase the focus on the power of being part of something bigger.” The new Group message “Technology that transforms the future,” is there to reflect the Group’s contribution to society at large. “Our customers are often at the forefront of transforming their industries and driving development forward, and we support them by increasing their productivity, safety, quality, and energy efficiency,” said Rahmström. “It is our technology and people who make the difference in the Atlas Copco Group.” b

Nyiko Chabalala, Building Services and Research and Development Engineer at Citadel.

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS DECEMBER 2023